(Jackson, Miss.) — The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) awarded Choctaw County a solid waste assistance grant of $10,985 that will be used by the county for enforcement efforts to combat illegal dumping.

“The Solid Waste Assistance Grants support a variety of useful solid waste management activities for cities and counties, and this grant will assist Choctaw County’s efforts in improving their management of solid waste,” said Gary Rikard, MDEQ Executive Director.

Cities and counties may apply for Solid Waste Assistance Grants through the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality. These grants are used by local communities for programs to prevent and clean up unauthorized dumps; to aid in hiring local solid waste enforcement officers; for public education efforts on solid waste disposal and recycling; and to establish programs for the collection of white goods, bulky wastes and recyclables.

Information about this grant program and other initiatives is available at www.deq.state.ms.us/solidwaste.